Why Is the Arizona Immigration Law A ‘Women’s Issue?’

With the recent passage of possibly the most far-reaching state immigration law in the country, Arizona and the immigrants who live there are on everyone’s minds. Among many extreme policies, the law allows for local law enforcement to detain anyone about whom they have a “reasonable cause” to believe may be in the state illegally. Reasonable cause is left up to the discrimination (no pun intended) of each individual police officer – it could be the color of one’s skin or someone’s accent. As Silvia Henriquez, the executive director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Healthwrites, “The law goes beyond encouraging racial profiling; it demands local police seek out “foreign characteristics” in order to hunt down immigrants without documents…” That is, it also requires residents to carry their immigration papers at all times; or face state criminal penalties if one is caught.

For feminists, women’s rights and health advocates and women’s media outlets, the question posed most frequently about the Arizona law seems to be a variation on: “Is immigration a women’s issue?” The consensus? Of course it is. But, why? Don’t we care about the immigrant men who have, for so long, toiled away in the U.S. at low-paying jobs, treated unfairly in the workplace, and struggled for dignity? It’s not about the invisibility of the male immigrant experience, of course. It’s about the unique story of women who are now emigrating to the United States in greater numbers than ever before, while still remaining dependent more often than not on a male partners’ visa to remain in this country. It’s about the vulnerability of the female experience as it relates to her body and health. It’s about the fact that a woman is exposed to vastly different, dangerous scenarios because of her sex. And it’s about telling the stories of individual women who may not only encounter threatening situations and barriers to health care for themselves, but are in unique positions as caretakers and protectors of their children’s lives and health as well.

Consider this story, told by Henriquez to illustrate the ways in which the immigrant women’s experience is often uniquely connected to her health and the lives of her family members:

“Just two years ago Juana Villegas was arrested for a routine traffic violation in Nashville after leaving a clinic for a pre-natal visit and detained when she was unable to produce a license. Despite the fact that driving without a license is a misdemeanor in Tennessee that generally leads to a citation, Ms. Villegas was taken into custody due to suspicions about her immigration status. Ms. Villegas was jailed for six days, during which time she gave birth to a little boy while shackled to a bed under the watchful eye of the sheriff’s officer. Barred from speaking to her husband, her baby was taken from her upon birth, leading to a number of health repercussions for both mother and baby. Local police stood by their actions, calling Nashville “a friendly and open city to our new legal residents.” In a chilling display of Nashville’s “friendliness,” local police also confiscated Villegas’ breast pump.”

Debra Haffner of the Religious Institute, a multi-faith organization dedicated to sexual health and justice answers people’s questions about why she’s speaking out against the Arizona law, given that her work is primarily on issues of sexual health and justice: “Because all of these issues are interconnected, and because as long as there is injustice for any group, there cannot be, “liberty and justice for all.””

Immigration Has A Female Face

Sure, the story of immigration into the United States has traditionally been of a man leaving home, with dreams of a decent-paying job dancing in his head, while a wife and maybe children wait patiently at home for the fruits of his labor to arrive each month. But by the end of the 20th century, says New American Media’s 2009 report, Women Immigrants: Stewards of the 21st Century Family, this arrangement no longer suited women and women’s desire to keep ones’ relationship and family intact.

Over the last decade, the number of women migrating to the United States has not only increased dramatically, women now make up more than half of all immigrants coming to this country. More women than ever before are crossing the border into the United States, and doing so during their prime reproductive years. These are young women seeking opportunities for their families, to improve their lives and the lives of their current or future children.

One-third of immigrant women who enter this country are also acting as heads of households once they are here, finds a New American Media poll, and women have been “remarkably successful” during this time at keeping their families together:

“Some 90 percent of women immigrants interviewed (30 percent of whom are undocumented) report their family units are intact – their husbands live with them, and their children were either born here or have joined them in this country.”

With so many women emigrating to this country and balancing the responsibility for work and family life once they are here, immigration is undoubtedly a “women’s issue” any way you look at it.

But is it being looked at, on a policy level, as a women’s issue? Miriam Yeung says, “…all of our immigration policies have been crafted without any gender analysis or any focus or thought about women.”

And while it’s empowering to recognize how successful women have been at keeping their families together as they work to build new and better lives for themselves in a new land, it’s critical to acknowledge that the female immigrant life in America is a fragile one that needs a stronger foundation, not more cracks. Strengthening immigrant women’s lives in the United States strengthens families. With passage of laws like the one in Arizona, we’re setting women and families down a backwards path of disruption and discord.

A Need For – And A Fear of – Help

Immigrant women face particularly challenging and sometimes horrendous scenarios, because they are female.

As Irin writes on Jezebel about immigration as a women’s issue, “From the beginning, these women are more vulnerable than their male counterparts, particularly if they lack documentation to enter this country.”

Women are far more likely to enter this country dependent upon a male partner’s employment visa: Seventy-two percent of those who hold employment visas in the United States are men.

Vulnerability comes in many forms: sexual violence that can start on a woman’s journey to the U.S. to domestic violence once in this country made worse when a woman is dependent upon a male partner to stay in this country; and extreme barriers to reproductive and sexual health care so critical to immigrant women who are here during their childbearing and parenting years. A law like the one in Arizona exacerbates all of these situations.

“We know that women who are here on a male partner’s visa have limited choices. You don’t have to be a US citizen or legal resident to get a protection order and most courts did not ask about immigration status. However, if local police [in Arizona] are now empowered to turn in “suspected” undocumented immigrations – it obviously will reduce if not totally cutoff undocumented immigrant women’s ability to seek help.”

For women who find themselves in a violent relationship, the Arizona law will undoubtedly put them in an even more dangerous place. The resources they may have visited for help, prior to the passage of the law, will now be eyed with extreme suspicion and fear. Says Bryan Howard, CEO of Planned Parenthood Arizona,

“For some of our patients, we’re understood to be a safe place; maybe we’re the only person they can talk to about an abusive or coercive relationship…Do patients [with this new law] …come to us now for health care but then don’t disclose a situation because they are afraid of what we’ll do with it? Will they be thinking, “Will PP contact the authorities?” Do they start withholding information? Of course, they’d prefer to get help but are afraid.”

It’s not only the emergency services, such as those so important to women in a domestic violence situation, which may be inaccessible to immigrant women under this law. It’s the critical reproductive and sexual health care that women need to attend to regularly which may be sacrificed because of fear of being “caught.”

Says Howard, “the tendency of people to go underground” whether they have documentation or not, will be made worse. In Arizona, legal permanent residents qualify for Medicaid including children and pregnant women under SCHIP, but only after they’ve been in the country for five years.

But those individuals who are undocumented are only eligible for Emergency Medicaid, aays Barajas-Roman, where “treatment is limited to serious health emergencies such as labor and childbirth. Therefore, most undocumented women forgo routine health care, including prenatal care and other preventive reproductive health services.”

Title X-funded family planning programs in Arizona do not require that legal residency is verified in order to provide services. Says Barajas-Roman, “When they do get sexual and repro health services, they usually turn to Community Health Centers, Title X centers and School Based Health Centers because these providers will rarely ask for documentation status.”

However, says Howard,

“Our experience over recent years is that people who either aren’t here legally or who have family members who aren’t here legally try to avoid what they think of as “official institutions,” like health care. In this state, there are a high number of deportations, families broken up. So, of course, there’s a real fear that if you come to the attention of authorities that it will put you or someone you love at risk. It’s frustrating because it’s a basic tenet of public health – that you don’t drive people underground.”

As mentioned above, although women who are in this country for more than five years qualify for public programs like Medicaid, the five-year bar, says, Barajas-Roman, is a restriction which creates “near-impossible barriers to basic reproductive health care such as regular cancer screening, contraceptives and abortion services.”

It’s something Howard worries about with both documented and undocumented women, who use Planned Parenthood services or who would benefit from their services.

“I have no doubt there will be patients who would have come in but who are now sufficiently fearful, with the passage of this law, that they either are going to forego, for example, birth control or have a relative get it for them.

We’re already seeing patients with interrupted health care. Women are asking for longer-term contraception because they aren’t sure where they’re going to be getting their health care next. They’re asking for IUDs or seeing if they can get 6 or 12 months of oral contraception. They talk to our clinicians about that and will say – our family is leaving and we’re not sure where we’re going so you can help with this? Our two concerns, then, are the continued disruption in people’s lives, the disruption of established health care relationships as well as the real risk of further driving people away from institutions that feel “public” out of fear that they will get noticed by authorities.”

When a woman accesses needed family planning services, regularly, it also means she’s receiving care like an annual exam; which includes a Pap smear, breast exam and more. It means she’s seeing a qualified provider who knows her medical history and can advise on appropriate birth control options. It means knowing whether one form of contraception may be medically contra-indicated for a particular woman. When a woman, for example, comes in to get birth control for a relative who is too fearful, and passes it on to that relative, the relative is not getting an exam, and is not being assessed for whether the form of contraception is appropriate for her, notes Howard.

Abortion Access

And when it comes to immigrant women who need abortion services in Arizona?

When it comes to minors, Arizona has a parental consent law. It means that minors must either have the consent of a parent to access an abortion or seek a judicial bypass (and it’s hard to imagine the daughter of an undocumented parent showing up in a courtroom). Providers like Planned Parenthood must verify age before a procedure – but not necessarily residency status. But abortions cost money and as medical procedures go, they are not cheap. Arizona does not offer state funds for abortion care though there is an abortion fund in the state that will pay for up to one-third the cost. It’s still not nearly enough.

The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health’s Barajas-Roman says,

“Undocumented immigrant women’s access to abortion services is even more limited than their access of sexual and reproductive health services. The fact is, abortion through safe and legal channels is inaccessible for many low-income and immigrant Latinas.

Many health centers do not provide abortion services, and when they do, the cost of the procedure is prohibitive. And for new immigrants that do qualify for Medicaid, the Hyde Amendment will bar them from getting federal assistance for an abortion.”

If it seems like impeded access to abortion, contraception, prenatal care, childbirth care, annual exams, STI checks, and family planning are just pebbles in a pond compared to the larger issues facing immigrant women in Arizona after the passage of the new law, think again. With women making up the majority of immigrants, increasingly acting as heads of household and central figures in their community once in the U.S., and, finally, coming to this country during their prime reproductive health years, it’s likely one of the most important issues facing immigrant women. Raising extreme barriers to health care for immigrant women means endangering their health and lives but also the health and lives of their children –whether their children are legal residents or not. If a woman is too afraid to seek health care for fear of being “caught” it’s hard to imagine she’ll feel comfortable bringing her child to seek regular health services or accompanying a pregnant relative as she seeks prenatal care or medical assistance during childbirth.

As you would imagine, advocacy organizations, coalitions and providers like Planned Parenthood are doing all they can to help immigrant women and their families receive care while also challenging the law.

The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health and the National Coalition for Immigrant Women’s Rights are working hard to get the word out about the impact of the Arizona law on women’s lives and the lives of their families. Barajas-Roman says,

“We look forward to working with Senate leadership in amending their immigration outline so that it goes beyond enforcement-only mandates and instead takes a balanced, comprehensive approach that acknowledges the central role immigrant women play in their families and communities.”

Planned Parenthood of Arizona says they are involved with various provider and social service networks that work on improving access to care for immigrants in the state and they are working within their organization to make sure they get the word out to women:

“We have a statewide call center that takes 20,000 phone calls/month…Women are calling with questions about their health. Our 16 full-time call center representatives have been briefed about how to answer questions and give information to reassure callers that if they need care, that they can come to us without concern.”

And Yeung reminds us,

“This is a stigmatization of immigrant women period … We want to raise this issue as dire as it is and to remember that…When Arizona attacks the pillars of community, you’re tearing away the underpinning of strong families and of strong communities.”

Because the Arizona immigration law targets women – as heads of household, as child-bearers and primary parental figures, and as critical central figures in family and community life – women’s rights and health activists must stand strong in opposition to the biased and stigmatizing law together.

In fact, Amie, llegal immigration hurts and exploits women and children, as Lori Ziganto at RedState.com explained on May 12:

Illegal immigration is another area where the true racist and misogynistic tendencies of Liberals/Leftists appear. They have turned a blind eye to things like human trafficking as well as other extremely harmful aspects of illegal immigration….

What isn’t mentioned ever? Concern for The Children ™ who are suffering due to strained medical and educational resources. Concern for our own minority and lower income communities who are losing jobs or are earning lower incomes due to the cheap labor in the form of illegal immigration. Apparently, having their lawns manicured and their tables bussed cheaply means more to the left than the human beings providing such services. Why have legal immigrants when you can have illegal ones as figurative slaves, huh, left?

Nor do they show concern For the Women, who are brought here, smuggled in illegally, as slaves. This time, I mean that literally:

Col. Randy Powers with the Guilford Co. Sheriff’s Dept. [NC] said Caballero was 1 of 4 men inside the home holding a female against her will. He says all 4 men are in the U.S. illegally. He didn’t reveal the age of the victim, but also said she is not from the U.S. “We have good reason to believe she was being forced to have sex with patrons that were coming in,” says Powers when explaining the abuses the victim suffered.

Human trafficking and the exploitation of women is a direct result of condoning and allowing wide open borders and massive illegal immigration. And the left doesn’t care. What’s a little enslavement and forced prostitution if it gets us some cheap labor and more bodies at the ballot box?

Not mentioned is that women here illegally who get abortions pay in cash and don’t complain about botches either. Nor do they report rapes.

To support illegal immigration is to support sex trafficking, rape, dangerous abortions, and subprime wages for women – the combined height of misogyny.

prochoiceferret

To support illegal immigration is to support sex trafficking, rape, dangerous abortions, and subprime wages for women – the combined height of misogyny.

Yes, and we all know how much the right-wingers care about the health and well-being of illegal immigrants. When these immigrants are arrested, separated from their families and communities, and deported back to their country of origin, it’s only because you guys love them.

Not mentioned is that women here illegally who get abortions pay in cash and don’t complain about botches either. Nor do they report rapes.

Gosh, I wonder why they wouldn’t want to go to the authorities to complain about that.

Illegal immigration is another area where the true racist and misogynistic tendencies of Liberals/Leftists appear. They have turned a blind eye to things like human trafficking as well as other extremely harmful aspects of illegal immigration….

Ah yes, because liberals don’t support racial profiling and systematic arrest of illegal immigrants, they’re totally in favor of the human trafficking by which some of those immigrants reach the U.S. in the first place. Much like how because the anti-choice movement doesn’t support the right of women to have an abortion, they’re totally in favor of whackjobs like Scott Roeder blowing away abortion providers.

amie-newman

Jill, there are inherent wrongs in our system. One of them is criminalizing those men, women and children who come to this country for a variety of reasons, seeking a better life. I do not own this country and nor do you. My grandmother, great Aunt and great grandmother all emigrated here to escape horrific danger in the Ukraine. As Bryan Howard, CEO of PP Arizona told me, “I do not know of ONE person who came to this country because they heard we had a great welfare system. They come to work and work hard to make a better life for themselves and their families.” And, I would add, to escape dangerous living at times as well.

What I support is our government actually embracing those who are here – documented or not – by making it easier to become citizens, by acknowledging that laws that do NOTHING but drive those who are here undocumented underground endanger their health and lives – children’s health and lives as well.

In fact, undocumeted immigrants contribute to our economy in many ways and actually pay more in taxes than they use in government social and health services:

The report cites the Texas Comptroller’s disclosure that, in 2006, undocumented immigrants paid about $424.7 million more in state revenues – including sales tax and school property tax – than they used in state services, including education and health care.

Human trafficking is a horrific issue that, as far as I’ve seen, is made NO mention of by the anti-choice movement except to use as an excuse to ride an inhumane wave of anti-immigration.

For some clear information on what needs to happen, public policy wise, to reduce trafficking, read this. It’s clear that the anti-immigrant sentiments and legislators who embody those sentiments are the ones to blame for endangering womens’ health and lives:

In the eight years since current anti-trafficking laws went into effect, only 787 people have received the “T” immigration visa set up to give residency and job status to trafficking victims, even though 5,000 such visas are available every year.

I’m sorry but to make an argument for racial profiling, making immigrants carry their papers at all times, and essentially creating a police state by saying that it’s for undocumented immigrants “own good” that we keep them out and ship them out is cowardly at best and completely wrong-minded and inhumane at worst.

crowepps

To support illegal immigration is to support sex trafficking, rape, dangerous abortions, and subprime wages for women – the combined height of misogyny.

And yet to support harsh punishment of illegal immigrants is exactly what ENABLES the sex traffickers, rapists, dangerous abortions and subprime wages/employment slavery, because the threat of being deported is exactly what is used to control the victims.

I do NOT support illegal immigration, but I certainly do support recognizing that illegal immigrants have the same inalienable rights to the protection of justice and fair treatment to which every other person in this country is entitled.

Illegal immigrants who are the parents of children born here should be able to stay with and raise their citizen children. It’s hard for me to believe that anyone with your passionate concern for the ‘rights’ of ZBEFs would want to put them in the position immediately after they’re born of having to choose between being separated from their mothers and fathers or being exported back to the hellholes their parents were able to escape.

If all parents of citizen children became legal by being issued green cards tomorrow, it would be interesting to see exactly how many ‘illegal immigrants’ there actually would be to worry about.

crowepps

I’m sorry but to make an argument for racial profiling, making immigrants carry their papers at all times

There is also the problem that many, many native born CITIZENS are not immigrants even though they are brown. Insisting that brown people who are legal citizens show their papers because they ‘might be’ illegal while assuming that white people probably are legal citizens leads to discrimination and inequity under the law. Especially since there are lots and lots of white European students who outstay their educational visas and are ALSO here illegally.

saltyc

Just another disingenuous attempt to represent the concerns of the vulnerable without actually asking them what they want.

Any support of lowering someone’s status, taking away more of their rights, disguised as concern for them, is well, another lie, but then they think lying is awesome and brave.

PS it’s not like people in the Right who support these anti-immigrant measures, don’t benefit from the labor of immigrants. And of course that labor will continue to be sought after, especially with laws that make it easier to exploit. And you can forget about community policing now.

paul-bradford

Jill,

You know that I applaud your unceasing efforts to instill a respect for the dignity of the unborn. What could be a more noble vocation? I do, however, urge you to share some of that concern and compassion with the victims of these harsh anti-immigration laws.

Everyone has a right to life, and everyone has the right to the means of supporting their life. These laws are devoid of the human compassion that should guide all our dealings with each other.

Obviously, I stand in solidarity with the bishops of my Church when I urge you to protect the rights of immigrants; but I don’t want you to suppose that I take this stand only because it’s the position of the Church. I feel entirely comfortable pointing out to people of any religion and no religion that to respect life is to respect the rights of immigrants.

I have noticed, and enjoyed, reading your posts here and on your own ‘site. Generally, it seems, you do not engage in protracted conversations — but I think this issue deserves some elaboration.

paul-bradford

As you would imagine, advocacy organizations, coalitions and providers like Planned Parenthood are doing all they can to help immigrant women and their families receive care while also challenging the law.

Amie,

It may have slipped your mind but another “advocacy organization” working to repeal this unjust law is the Roman Catholic Church. You may be interested in reading Bishop Richard Garcia’s poignant comments about the law. Here is an exerpt:

Since April 23, 2010, we have seen demonstrations and conflicts that accentuate the “us” versus “them” mentality that is so destructive to our communities and allows a culture of violence to prevail. Moreover, it disrupts our feeling of security in our homes and families by creating fear that, at any time, a loved one – as son or daughter, grandchild – could be detained and as the Arizona statute says, transferred to the “jurisdiction of the federal authorities.” This sounds much like the Nazi-era in Germany.

So, it’s not just Planned Parenthood holding up the fort!

faultroy

I find it really difficult to swallow the insulting double standard these illegal alien advocates pander. The columnist begins by opining that police “could discriminate against the victim. Obviously she’s never talked to a police officer or she would have known that police can find all kinds of ways to establish probable cause to stop anyone at any time. She’s concerned that police would target people on the basis of the color of their skin. Obviously she lives on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills since she has no experience with people “that look different.” like say Chinese Americans. Or perhaps African Americans. According to her bigoted views–police will only arrest legal citizens. Try reading the law: it’s the responsibility of the police to prove that the the person was not stopped for other than their skin color. It’s not enough to say: “Sir, I am stopping you because your license plate is dirty.” And even if they do stop them the police are only allowed to question a person’s right to be in the USA if that individual does not show proper documentation such as a valid drivers license, Insurance card to substantiate they are allowed to drive on the highway. I’ve got news for you: they do this already. In every state that I have ever lived in, you are required to show identification. In my state, you must show proof of identity. If you lie or misrepresent your identity, it is against the law. If I am walking down the street and a police officer has a problem with me, under the law he not only has a right, but a responsibility to question me if he thinks that I may be either breaking the law, or believes that I may have broken the law. He needs no probable cause. The only time probable cause comes in is if I am going to jail for a felony. At that point the cop has to substantiate the reason he stopped me. But it could be as insignificant as mistaking me for the drug dealer that looks a lot like me. That could be probable cause to stop me. You apparently spend too much time watching TV. Get out a little more. Furthermore, if you are stopped and cannot speak English, and cannot communicate with the police officer, well, I not news for you, that also is probable cause. It implies that maybe that license that you’re showing me may not be legitimate. And if I were a cop, and this guy spoke spanish, there is reasonable cause to investigate further. English is my second language so this has happened to me and it has happened when I was in other countries–in which case I had to present my passport–and if I didn’t I would be immediately arrested–for not showing documentation–it doesn’t matter if I had a right to be there or not. Aside from the blatant dishonesty, what is truly repulsive to me is the obvious inherent racism that is projected in the double standard that we have black americans in the inner cities with little if any social rights, which this writer has no sympathy whatsoever for. Many of them are hungry and have zero chance of changing their circumstances. She has no problem with that. But She’s worried about whether someone who is illegal may not be able to obtain the same benefits as white Americans? It is clear that she is fine with the status quo for blacks, but heaven forbid that Hispanics may be inconvenienced–that’s a violation of human rights!! The consistent subjugation of Americans solely based on the color of their skin–well that’s perfectly acceptable to her as long as their skin is black. But if their skin is brown–it now becomes a “women’s issue.” How absolutely ridiculous and bonafide racist.

amie-newman

Your comment is nothing but an angry rant containing absolutely no fact, no reporting, no real information other than your assumptions all of which are so completely untrue, I don’t know where to start.

Please do read the piece again – read it many times – and at least, at least understand that your assumptions are just that – assumptions based on nothing but your anger.

You infuse police officers with such trust, why not just let them take on all of the responsibilites for immigration enforcement? Why not just allow them to stop anyone, for any reason at all? Among your absurd accusations from reading my piece:

Police officers would only arrest legal citizens.

I live somewhere like Rodeo Drive/Beverly Hills (wow, if you only knew. But of course you are far more interested in your own opinions and accusations).

I am a racist for quoting people of color from a variety of organizations who believe – and have seen with their own eyes – who have talked to other people of color on the ground in AZ – that SB 1070 encourages racial profiling and in fact 287g leads to far too many frightening incidents of racism, xenophobia, abuse, violence against people of color – here undocumented or not.

That I have no sympathy whatsoever for people of color in this country who are legal citizens and in fact I have NO problem with Americans in poverty going hungry.

Not only are none of the above true, your raving, circular comment does nothing to prove any of it.

As if that weren’t enough, instead of any intelligent, coherent argument of any sort advocating for rational, humane immigration reform you incoherently, metaphorically scream that somehow those who are here without documentation (regardless, I assume, of whether they are on their way towards gaining citizenship becaues you seem to be unaware that it takes years to become a legal citizen), are taking jobs away from only Black Americans in inner cities?

I realize that facts, information and an understanding of humanity requires a commitment you may not want to make but before you post an obnoxious, inhumane rant attacking me personally please check yourself. If you want to present rational facts that do not concur with what I’ve uncovered, feel free to do so. But if you only want a place to unleash your anger at the world, please find somewhere else to do so.

amie-newman

the Roman Catholic Church has been outspoken about immigration and SB1070 in particular. I don’t think I ever implied that PP is the only one holding up the fort. In fact, I mentioned many organizations advocating for humane, effective immigration reform, against SB1070 and so many more are working so hard. Thanks for commenting, Paul!

emma

How on earth, faultroy, do you manage to reach such bizarre conclusions? Amie’s an overly wealthy racist because she thinks discrimination against immigrants, legal or otherwise, is a Bad Thing? That’s just fucking stupid.

Do people realise or care just how revoltingly dehumanising it is to refer to people as ‘aliens’ and ‘illegals’ – as if they’re barely human, and whose very existence is a crime? Have you ever considered why people from poverty-stricken countries come to the US illegally? And have you ever considered the possibility that western countries’ (led by the US) exploitation of poor countries and the people living in them has contributed to a situation in which people are desperate enough to try to make a better life for themselves in wealthier countries? I mean, Americans spend enough time telling the rest of the world that the US is the greatest country ever to grace the earth with its presence, so shouldn’t you expect people to want to live there? God knows, one would have to be pretty damned desperate to want to move to the US — I sure as hell wouldn’t want to.

You reap what you fucking sow, faultroy. And the US has spent many, many decades sowing a lot of shit in much of the world. Get the fuck over yourself and try developing the capacity for empathy for people who aren’t you.

And you know what? You’re blaming the wrong people for all of your social ills. The people creating rampant poverty amongst Americans aren’t the most vulnerable groups – they’re your unregulated corporations, your ultra-wealthy people, and both of your corrupt major political parties who’ve spent decades waging a class war on the middle and working classes.

crowepps

Funny how many people think that when Our Creator was handing out inalienable rights, He stopped passing them out at the border.

Equally weird that people can’t grasp that one of the reasons that Mexico is unliveable is that the American demand for drugs has resulted in that country being run by the drug lords.

Don’t even get me started on giving children who are American citizens the two unpalatable options of staying in the country alone in the tender care of Social Services or being deported along with their parents.